Your slim-down summer diet plan
Feel confident in your bikini with these diet tips to help you slim down and beat the bloat
By Leesa Hamilton and Rhonda Rovan
Moderation, not starvation
The good news is that we now know the key to shedding that winter weight involves moderation rather than severe restriction. “If you’re on a strict diet, there’s always going to come a time when something will get in the way to make you ‘break’ it, like a party or your birthday,” says Halifax registered dietitian Tristaca Curley, owner of the nutrition counselling service Fuel with Food. “People who go on restricted diets often gain back more than they lost.”
Plus, she adds, “When you restrict a lot of calories, the body recognizes starvation mode. It starts conserving energy as fat and your metabolism slows down.”
The trick is to identify the one or two foods you simply can’t give up, and have those treats a few times a week.
Small changes can make a big difference, such as swapping 2% milk for skim, white bread for grainy, and skipping the butter or cheese in your sandwich. “Make sure every meal and snack has one fruit or one vegetable for nutrient-dense fibre,” says Curley, “and that half of your dinner plate is filled with vegetables.”
8 ways to banish bloating
Add fibre. “You should make a habit of getting consistent fibre intake throughout the day,” says Curley.
Drink water. Herbal tea is good, too. Peppermint tea soothes the digestive tract to reduce bloating.
Cut down on caffeine. “It could cause water retention,” says Curley.
Go easy on alcohol. “It can cause water retention the following day,” Curley explains.
Watch your salt intake. The sodium content causes you to retain more water weight. The recommended daily limit is between 1,500 and 2,300 milligrams.
Go easy on hot spices. They can irritate your stomach and cause bloating.
Take a walk post-meal. It will help you pass gas to release air trapped in your stomach. “Light to moderate exercise after a meal will assist in digestion and decrease bloating,” says Helen Vanderburg, a personal trainer and fitness instructor, and the owner of Heavens Fitness in Calgary. (Check out her fitness plan here.)
Tips for cutting calories
• Decide on one major, realistic goal, such as aiming to lose five pounds. Then create smaller, weekly goals, such as aiming to lose half to one pound per week, so you can easily monitor your progress and stay motivated. Use a smaller plate so that you’re aware of portion sizes, and don’t mindlessly overeat.
• Avoid eating on the run when you can. Says Curley: “Mindful eating means sitting down to eat, and not combining it with another activity such as watching television.”
• Make a smoothie with frozen or fresh fruit, or even veggies, if you’re in need of a snack.
• Offer to walk a neighbour’s dog, or arrange to meet a friend for brisk, regular “walks and talks” instead of catching up via phone or Facebook.
• Carry a food and exercise diary, and be sure to update it daily.
• Put a photograph of a healthier you on the fridge door as motivation.
Your metabolism cheat sheet
Drink green tea. It contains catechins, antioxidants that have been linked to a reduced risk of stroke, heart failure, cancer and diabetes—and that amp up your metabolism and help burn more calories.
Eat more cinnamon. It increases insulin levels, which helps you process carbs more effectively—and it tastes delicious.
Check out our Get-Fit Quick Summer Workout Plan for tips on toning your beach body.
This article was originally titled "Summer's coming! Love your body in a bikini" in the May 2012 issue of Best Health. Subscribe today to get the full Best Health experience–and never miss an issue!
Best Health Magazine, May 2012
Why is there never a diet for guys with food that you would not have to figure out and search for?
I dont know where you are getting your information Rob but as a nutrition and wellness specialist and a personal trainer I would strongly suggest you step back from offering people health advice such as this. Whole wheat highly recommended. Fruits and veggies also recommended. And above all exercise?? At the rate of how many people are obese in this country i think a little exercise is what we all need. You should really google the benefits.
I think what Rob might have meant is Fiber is good, but depending on what you reads wheat is not good for you because it has been modified from what our ancestors used to eat. You can get your fiber from other places. (Read the book Wheat Belly).
Inuit only eat proteins/fat because that is all that is available where they live (as in seal and seal blubber). They were very healthy eating this way and got all the nutrients they needed up until westernized processed food arrived...now they have the same diabetes and cancer problems we are all dealing with. Since they can't grow their own fruit/veg, and things have to be shipped in, it is very expensive. But they never needed it before.
As for exercise making you hungry, I agree to a point but I also think the more I work out, the more I give myself allowances to eat more.
Thought that might clarify what I think he was trying to say.
Yes, I agree with the last comment. Whole grains - good. Fruits and vegetables - good. Exercise - good. Rob - totally wack.
I.m not sure what you are suggesting Rob. I am seeing that you recomend no fat, no wheat products, no fruit or vegetables. I am not sure quite what you would have us eat. Even more disturbing is the fact that you seem to be against exercise, and every study that I have ever seen support exercise as nothing but beneficial. Perhaps I am reading your comment all wrong, I sure hope so as I can't imagine a diet with no fruit or vegetable or my life without exercise. I don't think this would extend my lifespan at all..quite the opposite
The most useful suggestion in this article is to post a picture of the body image you wish to achieve. Suggestions to limit dietary fat - including saturated fats - are fundamentally flawed. Suggesting that grainy bread is healthy for you and white bread is not is akin to suggesting that although unfiltered cigarettes are unhealthy, filtered ones should be included in your daily routine. Wheat, what products and cereal grains in general are unhealthy additions to any diet. Eating vegetables for their nutrients and vitamins us only necessary if you consume quantities of carbs - since there is a metabolic mechanism that blocks adsorption when a diet is high in carbs. Even fruit is unnecessary - the (non westernized) Inuit diet includes no fruits or vegetables, yet they do not suffer from scurvy, beriberi or other nutrient deficient diseases. And exercise, although beneficial for cardiovascular health and general muscle tone, simply makes you hungrier - thereby causing you to eat. The myth of "energy in equals energy out" is clearly fallacious when you examine the research without a bias